Storyboard:

Title:

1940 - The Visit: Hitler in Paris

Rights-Managed,
Editorial

Location and time:

France, Paris, 23-06-1940

Description:

In May 1940 Hitler ordered his forces to attack France, conquering the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium in the process. France surrendered on 22th June 1940 and on 23th of June Hitler surveys newly defeated Paris in now occupied France. This string of victories convinced his main ally, Benito Mussolini of Italy, to join the war on Hitler

Sound Bite and conversation:

Kleist, Ewald von

(Soldier, later resistance) , speaking German: - "The „Biggest warlord of all times“, he called him. Amazing expression. We could keep it if we changed the word warlord to fool. For sure Hitler was the biggest fool who ever lived. "

Mosse, Claude

(inhabitant of Paris) , speaking French: - "Hitler wanted to humiliate France and the French. Everywhere on public buildings one could see flags with a Nazi cross– it was terrible."

Habenicht, Hans-Jurgen

(former Hitlerjugend, 1940) , speaking German: - "At the time of the attacks in Poland and France, Hitler was beyond criticism for us normal officers on the front."

Mosse, Claude

(inhabitant of Paris) , speaking French: - "We learned the expression “Blitzkrieg” very early.. This war really affected us likelightning. It was fast, and the way it happened – we were numb."

Kleist, Ewald von

(Soldier, later resistance) , speaking German: - "I think it is possible that he wanted to reach an agreement with the British. As a matter of fact his relations with the British were always positive."

Kielmannsegg, Earl Johann von

(chief of the general staff) , speaking German: - "We were a bit afraid. We didn’t know how it would end up because we had to keep to a strict time table as a part of the “sickle-cut plan”. We all knew that if we didn’t get through the Maas by the afternoon of 13th, the plan would fail."

Kielmannsegg, Earl Johann von

(chief of the general staff) , speaking German: - "The French simply could not imagine that it was possible to get through the Ardennes with a strong motor-driven army. "

Kleist, Ewald von

(Soldier, later resistance) , speaking German: - "Hitler must have taken the invasion on France as an enormous victory, what’s more, as his own personal victory."

Loringhoven, Bernd Freytag von

(French soldier in 1940) , speaking German: - "According to the original invasion plan the German army was to go through Belgium and the Netherlands with a strong right wing – like in 1914 through the North-French plains to Paris. The Netherlands were not included in the first World War, so they had been added to the plan now. "